GARDEN GROVE : Firefighters Plan to Picket Buildings

City firefighters, unhappy with stalled contract negotiations, will picket city buildings today because they have been working without a contract since Jan. 1, officials said.

But firefighters were quick to point out that the informational pickets will not interfere with firefighting duties.

“We don’t want people to think the Fire Department is on strike,” said Steven D. Shirley, president of the 99-member Garden Grove Firefighters Assn.

The firefighters plan to picket from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of City Hall, 11391 Acacia Parkway, and possibly other city buildings. The pickets will continue on Friday and Monday.

Shirley also said he expects 300 firefighters to picket Monday’s City Council meeting.

The union declared an impasse Monday after its membership rejected, by a vote of 82 to 0, a city contract proposal that offered a 4% wage increase.

Shirley said wages in Garden Grove rank 15th among 17 fire departments in Orange County, although the city is the fourth largest.

The two sides are also far apart on the issues of medical benefits and retroactive pay.

“The city didn’t even start negotiating until Dec. 9 and didn’t give us a contract proposal until late February,” Shirley said. “And then they won’t make the contract retroactive” to Jan. 1.

“The city’s position--with all employee groups--has been no retroactivity,” said Steven A. Larson, personnel director for the city of Garden Grove. “I think both sides worked very hard to reach a settlement.”

Firefighters are prohibited by state law from striking, and the City Council may impose a contract. Shirley said the union would like a public hearing on that issue.

“That’s a decision of the City Council, and there’s been no determination yet” on whether to grant a public hearing on the matter, Larson said.